This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
These air fryer fish sticks are crispy, golden, and super easy to throw together. They’re basically a healthy nod to whatever you ate off a tray as a kid (but tastier). Use whatever mild white fish you’ve got—or salmon, if you’re feeling fancy—and make extra, because they freeze beautifully.
Before the air fryer, homemade fish sticks meant one of two things: deep-frying (messy) or baking (fine, but kind of sad). I’ve done both and can say with confidence that these air fryer fish sticks win. These are crispy, golden, and wildly unfussy with just 9 ingredients and zero drama. I also threw in a recipe for a lemony tartar sauce. It’s totally optional but very much not optional. (It’s just too good, ok?)
If you’re looking for more easy air fryer recipes, you have to check out my air fryer Buffalo wings, this air fryer pizza, and of course, these irresistible air fryer salmon bites.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Less sodium—Frozen fish sticks contain a lot of sodium. With this recipe, you’re not getting a salt bomb disguised as dinner. Already a win!
- You’re also using actual fish (as in, something you chose and can identify) instead of a mashed-up mystery blend of “white fish”.Less mess—Because deep-frying is a whole thing (messy, fussy, and guaranteed to make your kitchen small like a fryer basket for days), the air fryer keeps things pleasantly un-greasy.
Ingredients & Modifications
Ingredients
- Skinless boneless white fish fillet—Mild fillets like cod, halibut, haddock, or pollock are great for homemade fish sticks. You could also use catfish or salmon.
- Panko bread crumbs—I like using panko specifically because they create a bigger and better crunch.
- Seasoning—I like to season my breading with some garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for extra flavor, since the fish is mild in flavor and breadcrumbs on their own are pretty bland.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Swaps
- Italian breadcrumbs—If you prefer, Italian breadcrumbs work in place of panko.
- Seasoning—You can jazz up your breadcrumb crust with other things like Old Bay Seasoning, homemade Italian seasoning, or grated Parmesan.
How to Make Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Step 1: Make the lemon tartar sauce (optional)
The tartar sauce gets better as it sits, so I always make it first and pop it in the fridge until it’s time to mow down on the fish sticks. To make it, whisk the mayonnaise, chopped dill pickles, pickle brine, chopped fresh dill, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl with a fork. Cover it and place it in the fridge until you plan to serve the fish sticks.
Step 2: Preheat the air fryer
You want your air fryer to be warmed up, so preheat it to 375º F. While it’s heating up, move on to step 2.
Step 3: Make the fish sticks
Pat the fish fillets with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper, then slice them into strips that measure approximately 1/2-inch wide and 2-4 inches long.
Set up a dredging station by placing flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs each in their own shallow bowl, pie plate, or dredging tray. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika into the breadcrumbs until combined. One by one, evenly dredge the fish sticks into the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Place them onto a baking sheet.
Step 4: Cook the fish sticks
Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and place as many fish sticks into the air fryer basket as you can fit without them touching one another. (Don’t overcrowd the fish sticks; you’ll have to cook them in batches.)
Cook the fish at 375º F for about 6 minutes, carefully flipping them halfway through. Make sure they reach an internal temperature of 140-145º F. The outside should be golden and the inside should flake nicely. Transfer them to a plate.
Repeat with the next batches until all fish sticks are cooked.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Dips—Depending on your preference, you could go with the lemony tartar sauce included in the recipe card, or some nice and tangy homemade ketchup.
- Fries—French fries are a classic choice! (I do have the best air fryer French fries, which can be made before whipping up your fish sticks.) You could also serve them with roasted mini potatoes to change things up.
- Pasta—During the warmer months, a cool lemon and dill macaroni salad is a great side. For chillier months, opt for some cozy skillet homemade mac and cheese!
- Veggies—To load up on veggies, consider this crunchy Greek cucumber and tomato salad. Oven-roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast or Parmesan-roasted zucchini are also solid picks.
- Tacos—Stuff your air-fried fish into a soft tortilla shell, top it with some slaw and your favorite fixins, and enjoy a fish taco!
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- These will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, I highly suggest popping them in the air fryer for a few minutes as opposed to the microwave to keep them crispy.
- To freeze, let the fish sticks cool completely, then place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer. (This will ensure they don’t freeze and stick together). Freeze for an hour, then place them into a freezer-friendly air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fish fillets cut into 1/2-inch strips can be cooked in the air fryer for 6 minutes at 375º F, flipping them halfway through. You want the fish sticks to have an internal temperature of 145º F.
When frozen, fish sticks can be cooked in an air fryer at 400º F for 8-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The time may vary slightly, depending on your air fryer model and the thickness of the fish sticks.
Preheating the air fryer is key for attaining crispy fish sticks, so be sure to follow instructions and preheat.
Give your air fryer basket a good spritz of oil/non-stick spray before placing fish sticks into the basket. This will keep them from sticking.
Crispy Air Fryer Fish Sticks + Lemon Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
FISH STICKS
- 1.5 lb cod fillets, Or another meaty white fish, liked halibut or pollock
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprike
- Zest of a lemon
LEMON TARTAR SAUCE
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 TBSP dill pickle brine from the jar
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh dill
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
FISH STICKS
- Preheat the air fryer to 375º F.
- With paper towels, gently pat the fillets to get rid of any excess moisture; season them with some salt and pepper.
- Cut the fish into strips that measure about 1/2-inch wide and 3 to 4 inches long.
- Set up a dredging station by placing flour, egg wash, and panko bread crumbs into shallow bowls or pie plates and lining them up in an assembly line. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and about 1/4 tsp of salt into the panko bread crumbs.
- When ready, open the air fryer tray and spray the bottom with a bit of olive oil or non-stick spray. Then, dredge your fish sticks, one by one, into the flour, egg, and panko. Place them into the air fryer basket; be sure not to overcrowd them. You will likely have to cook your fish sticks in batches.
- Close the air fryer and cook the fish sticks for 3 minutes, then carefully flip the fish sticks over using tongs and cook them for another 3 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and transfer the fish sticks to a plate. Repeat with the other batches until you're done, and serve the fish sticks with tartar sauce—or ketchup if you prefer!
LEMON TARTAR SAUCE
- Put all of the ingredients for the tartar sauce into a small mixing bowl.
- With a fork, mix everything together until well combined. Give it a taste and adjust if necessary.
- Refrigerate until ready to use. I like to make this first and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes before serving it with the fish sticks.
Nutrition
More Easy White Fish Recipes to Try
Fish and Seafood
Crispy Baked Alaska Pollock Recipe
Fish and Seafood
Pan-Fried Flounder With Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce
Fish and Seafood
Easy Baked Grouper Recipe (20 minutes!)
Fish and Seafood
Dana, great launching point for a new air fryer like myself. THANK YOU! I have some suggestion towards Amanda’s question about freezing and add a chef tip on seasoning.
A little backstory, we live in Oregon. We are often coming from the ocean/river with 5-20lbs of fish. Filets can get boring, but fish sticks never die😁
YOU SHOULD FREEZE YOUR FISH BEFORE STORING …OR…COOKING!
THERE IS ANOTHER KEY RECOMMENDATION! Season your egg and flour, NOT the panko. Most of your seasoning falls between the panko flakes and ends up in the bottom of the bowl. Seasoned flour and eggs guarantees even distribution across the fish!
Make your dredging station with a bowl for panko, a bowl for SEASONED FLOUR & a bowl for SEASONED EGG/BATTER splitting the recipe’s measurements for spices between the flour and eggs. Set aside.
Follow the recipe for cutting and drying fish. Drying is important!
Dredge sticks in SEASONED FLOUR and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Keep pieces from touching.
Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Now dredge in seasoned egg/batter, then panko.
Place on the same parchment covered cookie sheet so they do not touch. Continue until all pieces are breaded.
FREEZE sticks completely.
Follow the remaining recipe instructions for cooking. NOTE!!! Fish may take a minute or 2 longer to cook from frozen. Do a test piece and go for it!
The remaining fish sticks can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can you make these and then freeze for quick air fry later?
Hi Amanda, you can freeze these but after they’re cooked. I don’t think the uncooked breading and egg wash would hold up without being cooked. Hope this helps!
I made these fish sticks for the kids and they LOVD them! And I loved making them in the air fryer!
Awesome to hear! Thanks, Taylor!
This was my first try making homemade fish sticks and they came out so good! So crispy and flavorful. That tartar sauce is the bomb!
Friend, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eat fried seafood simply for a means to the tartar sauce, lol. So glad you enjoyed it!
My kids love fish sticks. I love that I know exactly what is in these. So crispy and delicious!
Thanks Casey! I love that about them too.
What kid doesnt love fish sticks. As an adult I’m loving these real versions. Thanks!
Right? We deserve fish sticks, too!
The perfect combination of golden-brown crunchiness on the outside and tender flakiness on the inside makes them a family favorite.
I’m so glad, Shadi!
This is exactly what I was looking for, fish stick in the air fryer!! It’s perfect for fish fridays and the kids will love them!
So looking forward to trying these this way!! I don’t normally like fish, except fish sticks, but am trying to be more healthy ‘ in the autumn of my life’ :) I bought pollock, so, I’m going to give this a shot this weekend.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Joni, this is awesome. Please keep me posted! :)